The 'smartphone-lite' devices aiming to hook Twitter users

Mobile phone maker INQ Mobile is launching two new low-cost phones optimised for social networking applications to give mobile subscribers alternatives to more expensive smartphones.

INQ, which is owned by Hong Kong's Hutchison Whampoa - parent of mobile operator 3, launched its first low-cost, "smartphone-lite" device earlier this year. And now the company is expanding its portfolio with two new devices, one of which has a full Qwerty keypad.

The phones do not run full browsers and the operating system used on the device is Java-based and not nearly as sophisticated as smartphone operating systems used on devices such as the Apple iPhone or RIM's BlackBerry.

NQ Mobile's new phones: the INQ Chat 3G and INQ Mini. (photo credit: INQ Mobile)

But INQ has integrated many of the most popular web services, such as Facebook and Twitter, onto their handsets to give consumers a smartphone-like experience at a much lower price point. And because the device is not considered a smartphone, subscribers can typically sign up for less expensive data plans using the INQ phones.

In addition to tight integration for one-click access to Facebook, Twitter and other web services like Skype, the new INQ devices can also sync with unprotected music stored in iTunes and Windows Media Player.

The two new phones announced this week are the INQ Chat 3G phone, which has a full-Qwerty keypad and looks like a colourful BlackBerry, and the INQ Mini, which is shaped like a candy-bar and comes with a standard mobile phone keypad. The devices are expected to go on sale in six countries on Hutchison's operator 3 later this year. These countries include the Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the UK.

The Mini, which will cost less than $150 without a carrier subsidy, will go on sale in September. And the INQ Chat 3G, which will retail for less than $200 without a carrier subsidy, will go on sale in October.

Meehan said the company is still working on a deal with a US operator but the phones could end up there next year.

Original article: INQ Mobile intros new phones; adds Twitter from CNET News.com